To Zoom or Not To Zoom? That is the Question.
Just like that, we have been rendered a virtual world. Millions if not billions of people suddenly confined to working from home whether they like it or not, with all of the adjustment that naturally brings. It's easy to forget when calling that insurance company to renew your policy that now, that person is not talking from an office nor wearing a suit, but at home probably in their pyjamas. Gone are the days of thinking it unprofessional to hear the sound of children in the background or the clatter of dishes being washed. Welcome to the world of virtual working.
But how is it best to communicate? The question came up when a friend of mine with whom I have spent many hours talking to on the phone and a previously self confessed techno phobe, suddenly insisted on zooming me. Humouring him, I put down my mop and sat down to talk, face to face. Fortunately it was a technical debacle and I zoomed off before calling him back on the phone. EarPods once again snugly in place, our chatter resumed... as did my mopping.
You see, I have worked from home for years. It's far more efficient for me, and I can be hands free. I can do all of the things I need to do. I can walk and talk whilst I clean and organise and cook. It's a way of life for me, but also the way I fit all of the basic requirements of my day, into my life. I don't lose valuable hours travelling, or in traffic or vie for a seat on the train or the tube. I can do what I want when I want fitting work around my kids, and keep on top of my house.
But I guess what I love most about talking on the phone is the anonymity. It doesn't matter what I look like or what I wear and I can be almost anywhere. Why do we have to see each other anyway? It's what's in my mind that I am sharing not my looks.
But that's the beauty of choice, so if you have the time or inclination to sit still, and you are a person who prefers to talk face to face, then you go ahead. But I will stick to my personally tried and tested way that works best for me ........and I won't be going Zoom anytime soon.